updated 12:15 pm EST, Tue December 23, 2008

HP Firebird 803 Leak

A new leak floated by Engadget has revealed both a new compact HP gaming PC as well as new technology by PC. Supporting hints by HP's Rahul Sood of a Voodoo-influenced new gaming PC, the Firebird 803 appears targeted at gamers who still hope to have relatively compact desktops and should provide gaming-level performance using a new low-power video array: the system will carry two previously unknown GeForce 9800S chips that take up less space and power than regular desktop chips but should perform better than mobile chips.

The system will also contain a 2.83GHz Core 2 Quad in spite of its size and corroborates a rumor of a new low-power quad-core CPU from Intel that has already been slated for the previously unnamed HP system as well as new computers from Dell and Apple, the latter of whom is rumored to be preparing a new iMac. HP's example will reportedly echo systems like the Mac mini and externalize the power supply to reduce heat and size.

Other parts are similarly targeted to the upper mid-range and will allegedly involve 4GB of memory, dual 320GB hard drives, a slot-loading Blu-ray drive and a more gaming-friendly NVIDIA nForce 760i mainboard chipset. The Firebird is also said to carry both 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built-in, both of which are uncharacteristic for desktops.

No launch information accompanies the new details, though Sood's leak points to a system much less expensive than other gaming PCs like the Blackbird 002 and an introduction at CES in early January. It's not known whether the GeForce 9800S is unique to HP or whether it will be shared by Apple or other major PC builders.